Jess Millman
Manuscript Master-Surgeon. Veteran Literary Editor. Founder.
Services
Substantive Editing, Line Editing, Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Coaching, Manuscript Evaluation, Query Letter & Synopsis
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About Jess
In my ten years as an editor, from newsrooms to heavy metal concerts to the editor-in-chief's desk, I've let one open secret lead me: I am a massive word nerd. Does that admission belong in a bio? Yes. Because you need an editor who will love your characters as much as you do—and one who will celebrate and protect what makes your voice different from everybody else's.
My loyalty to literary nerdery has whisked me through a quirky and sometimes surprising editing career. I've been a writing educator, a literary magazine manager (twice), a music journalist, and an editorial spokesperson in my hometown of Chicago, where I've worked more book launches and Printers Row Lit Fests than I can count. I've been lucky enough to serve as the lead editor and department head of Amazon marketwide top-1000 bestselling mystery-thriller publisher Pandaz Media; the managing editor of the eclectic memoir-meets-headline StoryNews Media; an editor of the excellently fanciful Edward Gorey tribute, Goreyesque; a staff writer with the intimidatingly smart folks at Literary Chicago; and a writing instructor with multiple years of experience leading university workshop sessions, including classroom lessons and comprehensive one-on-one coaching. I am honored to count myself among the Follett Fellows of Columbia Chicago, where I attained my Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing.
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Wherever the winds carry me, I keep coming back to that central truth: I am here because I am in love with what we do. This is my promise to each writer I work with: I will bring a decade of publishing experience to every sentence, always lifting, never leveling. I will protect the integrity of your work and the clarity of your message with an always up-to-date political sensitivity barometer. I will ask you questions no one has asked about your characters before. I will lovingly challenge you with a mean passion for detangling tough prose, and I won't let you quit on you. Because—as a pro word nerd—I love good writing more than just about anything on this ball of rocks.
Above all, I promise to care—really, truly care—about your writing. So you pick the path, and I'll help you see clearly through the trees.
Featured Editor
Lindsey Pastorek
Publishing Renaissance Woman. Literary Editor. Founder.
Services
Developmental Editing, Substantive Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation
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About Lindsey
If variety is the spice of life, then my career in publishing has been well seasoned. I cut my teeth copyediting a smattering of magazines, ranging from medical journals to pop culture publications. Over the years I’ve worked in printing, made a living as a full-time staff writer, proofread children’s books, and had the pleasure of line editing a successful thriller series. Though I’ve held a wide variety of positions, my favorite place to be is the literary editor’s chair. Writing is your passion—helping authors refine their work is mine!
Regardless of your genre, subject, or publishing goals, I want you to succeed, and I’m here to help you bridge the gap between manuscript and finish line—whatever that looks like for you. Good editing is crucial to every book’s journey. If I’ve learned anything from sweating on the author’s side of the desk, it’s that high-quality, actionable feedback encompasses all aspects of a manuscript. Knowing what you’re doing well is just as important as knowing what needs improvement. Every editor should challenge their writers; a good one lifts them up, too.